Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Advisor Barrister Saif on Friday blamed Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja for country’s current situation.

He stated that the chief election commissioner was delaying action on verdict pronounced by the apex court regarding allocation of reserved seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Mr. Saif said that the CEC was taking instructions from the government, adding that the latter was the one to blame for the deteriorating situation of Pakistan.

“The Chief Election Commissioner will have to be answerable for his unconstitutional actions. All those who assisted chief election commissioner should also resign alongside him,” he reiterated. 

Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday that Pakistan had two paths, either to sow chaos or to direct it towards the path to prosperity, emphasising that the government would do everything to put country on development road.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Allama Iqbal Open University, the minister said that political instability always derailed the country from making progress, adding that a development emergency was necessary for the country.

“When first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor started, few extremist elements tried to subvert it which is now happening again,” he added.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has granted approval of the agriculture tube well solarisation project.

The farmers owning 25-acre agriculture land will be eligible for the solarisation project.

The 67 pc payment of the project will be paid by the government and farmers have to pay only 33 pc payment for the agriculture tubewell solarisation project.

It was announced during the briefing that around seven thousand tube wells would be shifted to solar energy in the first phase.

With the collaboration of the federal government, about ten thousand tube wells will be shifted to solar energy in the second phase.

The expenses of running a tube well on diesel are around three thousand per acre while fifteen hundred rupees on electricity.

Meanwhile, only Rs. 50 per acre would be spent to run tube wells on solar energy for irrigation.

Punjab CM directed to devise special packages for vegetables farmers.

Addressing the session, Maryam Nawaz instructed for a sustainable and effective system of supply management for onions, tomatoes and essential vegetables.

She stressed on providing solar panels to farmers and resolving the crisis of expensive electricity.

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz emphasised that the crop yield expenses would be reduced by shifting from expensive electricity and diesel to solar energy.

She insisted that Punjab’s prosperity and development was associated with farmers’ welfare.

Punjab CM approved the project in a session chaired by her, attended by Senator Pervez Rasheed, Senior Provincial Minister Mariyyam Aurganzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Syed Ashiq Hussain Karamani, Chief secretary and secretary agriculture.